


Nothing Like The Supernatural To Put Us Back Together

by ahale



Category: My Babysitter's A Vampire
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Benny Skates Bc I Said So, Bethan - Freeform, Boy x boy, Idiots in Love, M/M, Succubus, The Supernatural, my babysitter’s a vampire, slowburn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:47:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25441915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ahale/pseuds/ahale
Summary: After almost two years of being quiet on the supernatural side, things in Whitechapel are going steady. The small group of supernatural ass-kickers split up like most teenagers do, drifting apart.That is until the new girl and a few mysterious deaths bring them back together.
Relationships: Ethan Morgan & Original Male Character(s), Ethan Morgan & Rory Keaner & Benny Weir & Sarah Fox & Erica Jones, Ethan Morgan/Benny Weir
Comments: 16
Kudos: 63





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!! I apologize for any typos, I’m going to go back and edit it soon! <3

For once, Whitechapel was quiet.

No one knew why, really. At first, it put everyone who knew about the supernatural on edge. It felt like a waiting game, the calm before the storm. The small group at Whitechapel high had their guard up, preparing for the worst. But, nothing came. Eventually, everyone settled down, letting the waiting game go.

It had been a year since the Lucifractor explosion. Somehow, it didn't do nearly as much damage as they thought it would. Turns out, Ethan was right. Stern couldn't handle that much power. All it left behind was a dead, power-crazy vice principal and a few passed out vampires. It was passed off as some sort of gas explosion, as unbelievable as it was. But, the people in Whitechapel always knew something was off about their town, they just learned not to question it.

The vampire council came back not too long after that, making sure it was safe. Erica and Rory backed off of them after the mind-control they put them under, staying away from vampire-related events if the council was involved. Of course, they couldn't just complete abandoned them, living in their town and all, but they tried their best.

Jesse skipped town for good, even after being allowed back for his help with Stern. According to him, there was always something going wrong in Whitechapel. The incident seemed like something that would've pulled the small group closer together, and at first, it did.

Ethan and Benny were almost inseparable, more so than they have been before. They took a shot at what it would've felt like to come close to losing each other for good. It scared them, at first. They grew closer to the vampires as well, checking up on each other often and being with each other if they could. Even Erica showed she cared, even if it wasn't as much as the others.

Unfortunately, it didn't last long. It was senior year, and as most high schoolers do, the small group split up. Erica cut the bad girl act, though the attitude was definitely still there. She was nicer, and made more friends with girls she never in a million years would've thought she'd get along with. She was still relatively close with Sarah, but it was different. Sarah got a steady job at the 7/11 in town, the schedule working out seeing as she didn't need much rest. She also slipped in with a new group of people, finally feeling like her old self again. She still babysat Jane, but only when they really needed her since they've decided they could trust Ethan enough. Rory didn't fall into a certain clique. He tried his best to be close with them all, even if the others started drifting. He had other friends, more people to hang out with and annoy nonstop without them actually getting annoyed. Soon though, the only one he properly stayed close with was Ethan.

Ethan and Benny. They were a pair that no one would've guessed would separate. It took them the longest, but it happened. Benny went from coming over almost every day, to once a week, to once a month, then to never at all. The Morgan's try to ignore the way Ethan's face falls whenever they ask about him, while Benny's grandma tries to stop herself from asking too many personal questions about why they weren't as close. Because in reality, neither really knew.

Benny's clothes got darker and his interests broadened. His striped shirts turned into band tees. Playing video games turned into hanging out with his new friends at the skatepark. He's grown more with his magic, making less stupid mistakes and getting into trouble with it. His most used spells only turn out to be the ones that can help his scrapes after falling off of his skateboard too much. Sometimes, he feels himself getting sad and missing his best friend, how things used to be. At times like that, he pretends his grandma doesn't send him worried glances while she pretends not to notice the smell of weed that follows him around the house when he gets home a little too late.

Ethan didn't change drastically, but it was noticeable to the ones who knew him best. He grew more timid, more shy around others. He started wearing things that made him more comfortable, his graphic t-shirts and regular jeans turned into vintage shirts with mom jeans. He threw out his action figures, as well as most of his old things. He had a couple of close friends, a boy named Alex and a girl named Julie, as well as Rory. They took up most of his time, which his parent's were grateful for after noticing how timid he became. Despite all of that, they knew there was something off with their son. Yet, they couldn't quite place it.

While Ethan didn't change drastically, there was something completely different. Everyone knew how hard he pinned after Sarah during freshman and sophomore year. He made it obvious to anyone. However, he knew deep down he wasn't fully honest with himself. He started realizing it when he started looking at Benny too long, or the way his heart sped up whenever Benny would look at him. He had feelings for his best friend, and he didn't know how to deal with it.

When they started drifting from each other, it hurt. He still catches himself sending Benny longing looks at school, wishing they could go back to the time when he would look back at him and smile. His new friends help, especially Alex who he's fallen into a kind of "friends with benefits" pattern with. He's also glad Rory's still there to help him cheer up after a particular bad day of missing his old friends. He came out to Rory after a party one night, a bit drunk and crying after seeing his ex best friend kissing his girlfriend. Rory had smiled at him and said, "Cmon, Ethan. You don't really think you're that subtle, do you?" After that, Rory and him grew closer.

For once, things were quiet in Whitechapel and the small group of supernatural ass-kickers were finding themselves with different people. Unfortunately, bad situations don't wait for anybody, and sooner or later, something's going to come. Maybe sooner rather than later.


	2. Chapter 2

It was Friday. The hallways of Whitechapel High were crowded with too-tired teenagers, most stopped in the middle of the hall to chat about whatever plans they had going on this weekend. Ethan tried to maneuver his way through the crowd, wanting to be annoyed by the ones inconsiderate about the other student's actually trying to get to class. Unfortunately, the annoyance was overrun by nerves; big crowds make him more anxious now that he doesn't have Benny by his side.

"Hey, Ethan!" Someone called out, making him spin around. "Wait up!"

He sighed in relief once he noticed it was Alex, who was now running up to him. "Oh, hey!"

They started walking again, Alex falling into a steady step beside him. Ethan glanced over at him, taking in his nervous body language. Being friends for almost over a year now, he's picked up on a few things. Alex tends to tap his leg and look at the ground when he's nervous- which is exactly what he's doing now.

"You okay, dude?" Ethan asks. "You're looking pretty nervous."

Alex grabbed his arm, pulling him to the side of the hallway so they weren't in anyone's way. Ethan furrowed his eyebrows, sending him a confused glance.

"I wanted to ask you something." Alex responds, looking anywhere but Ethan. "Would you maybe wanna... go out tonight?"

"Um, I mean, yeah." Ethan was still confused. They've hung out plenty of times. "Are Julie and Rory coming, too?

Alex started fidgeting even more, still not looking at him. "Well, I was kind of hoping it could just be you and me? I feel like we should talk, you know? About us and-"

Even though he didn't mean to, he zoned out once something down the hall caught his eye. Erica was stood at her locker, but what caught his eye was Sarah standing beside her. Usually, this wouldn't strike him as strange, but he doesn't remember the last time he had seen the two of them together. From an outsiders perspective, the conversation looked a bit heated. Sarah was saying something to her, an intense look on her face while her arms moved almost as energetically as she spoke. Erica was staring back at her, her eyebrows furrowed. Ethan couldn't tell if it was an argument or not.

As if they could feel him staring, and they probably could, stupid vampire powers, they both snapped their head in his direction. Ethan's eyes widened at the eye contact, a feeling in his stomach that he couldn't quite place.

"E? Earth to Ethan!" Alex says, his hand waving in his face. "So, what do you say?"

Ethan shook his head, grateful Alex was there stop the awkward staring contest. "You know, us. Going out tonight, to talk about us?"

"Oh! Uh," He started, shaking his head again to try to regain his thought process. "Sure! I'll just text my mom and ask her to call the babysitter for Jane."

Alex beamed at him, making Ethan smile a bit too. "Great! So, I'll pick you up around 7?"

Ethan nodded, not really paying attention while taking a glance at the spot the girl's were standing at. They were still talking, glancing at him ever so often. His eyes widened when they took a step in his direction. He grasped Alex's arm, walking away quickly.

"Sounds great! We should get to class, you know before the-" He started, getting cut off as he turned the corner, running straight into someone.

Both of them fell to the ground, letting out a small "oof". He saw a few books fall to the ground and his heart sped up, and he got the same feeling he got when he saw Erica and Sarah talking, brushing it away as nerves for thinking about the amount of people who were probably looking at them.

"Woah, Ethan. Are you okay?" He heard Alex ask, but didn't process to give a reply.

"Oh my God, I am so sorry!" Ethan says, getting on his knees to help whoever it was pick their books up.

"No, that was totally my fault!" A girls voice said. "I wasn't even paying attention, I'm the one who should be sorry."

They both stood up, Ethan holding an arm full of books. He finally looked at them, seeing a girl he's never seen around before. He was a little put off, staring with his mouth open a bit.

She was gorgeous. She had dark, almost black, long hair and piercing green eyes. A few freckles littered her face, which was now flustered. He might be strictly into guys, but he knows beauty when he sees it, and it's currently looking at him.

"-I'm new here, so I was staring at my schedule to try and find my classes, I'm sorry." She said, making him jump out of his shock and realize he was gaping at her.

"It's okay!" He chuckles nervously. "Accidents happen, all forgiven."

The girl giggled a bit before pointing at the stack of books in his hand. "Do you want me to take those?"

"Oh!" He says, feeling his face heat up. He handed her books to her while giving a shy smile.

"I'm Emery." She smiled, holding out her hand for him to shake.

"Ethan." He grabs her hand with a smile. He suddenly gasped as his eyes turned white and he knew this wasn't about to be good.

_There was a room, a guys room. Someone was laying in bed, seemingly sleeping if the closed eyes and quiet snores meant anything. Suddenly, someone, or something, was standing over him. It looked like a normal girl at first. Then, she removed her shirt only to reveal a set of wings sitting on her back. Her head turned quickly, as if she could sense Ethan in the room. She had long, sharp horns sticking out of her forehead. She smirked at him, one that was full of evil and mischief._

Ethan gasped as he came back to, staring at Emery with wide eyes. She still had a smile on her face, unaware of what just happened. "I'm Alex!" He heard Alex say, making him jump. That got weird looks from both of them, but he wasn't paying any attention to that. He turned his attention back on the girl standing in front of him.

"Well, nice to meet you both!" She says as the bell rings. "Maybe I'll see you guys around?" She said it to both, but made sure Ethan knew it was mostly pointed towards him. With a smile and a small wave, she turned and walked off.

"Dude, are you okay? You look like you just saw a ghost." Alex says, looking at him with concern.

 _You have no idea_ , Ethan thought to himself before giving a short nod.

Ethan was now sitting in first period, leg bouncing up and down. He had sent a quick text to his mother about his plans with Alex, getting a response that said it was fine, and that Sarah was coming to babysit.

Logically, he knew he needed to tell someone. Rory, Sarah, anyone of his old friends who knows about these types of things. However, part of him didn't want to. Not only was his nerves acting up for some strange reason, he was afraid of getting told to take care of it himself or told to fuck off. The reasonable side of him knew that most likely won't happen, they were all pretty close at one point, and there was no bad blood between any of them. However, his anxiety won and he wanted to pretend things were normal for at least one more day. He'd tell Sarah tomorrow.

He jumped as the phone on his desk buzzed, figuring it was probably his mom or maybe Alex. _Speak of the devil_ , Ethan thought as he looked at the message that made his heart drop.

_Got any plans tonight? - Sarah._

He inwardly groaned. She should know he has plans, seeing as she was asked to babysit.

_Yes, seeing as you're literally babysitting tonight. - Ethan._

The message came out with more attitude than he meant to, but he didn't care that much. He looked up, making sure his teacher was busy before picking up his phone after it buzzed once again.

_Damn, when did you get so snappy? Cancel them, we need to talk. It's important. - Sarah._

Ethan rolled his eyes at the first part before narrowing his eyes at the last bit. They don't talk for a year and all of a sudden she's asking him to cancel plans?

_What? No! My plans are important. - Ethan_

Okay, maybe that was a bit of a lie. He knew Alex would understand if he cancelled on him, but he really didn't want to. Even though it'll just be like every time they've tried to talk about their relationship that went the same way; they'd do whatever they go to do, start talking, get distracted with each other and make out a bit, making the conversation completely forgotten.

_Supernatural important, Ethan. - Sarah._

He hates the fact that he can feel the eye roll Sarah probably gave him while typing that out. He sighed, knowing he probably did need to go ahead and cancel his plans. "Fuck." He whispered, louder than he meant to.

"Mr. Morgan." His teacher said, making him straighten up a bit more. "Do you have something you'd like to share with the class?"

Ethan blushed under the intense stare from his teacher and a few other students. "N-no sir."

"Then pay attention." Ethan nodded, his teacher going back to the lesson. Ethan sent Sarah a quick "fine" before sliding his phone into his pocket.

Suddenly, the intercom made a loud noise. "Attention teachers and students." Principal Hicks voices came out, "As some of you may already know, another young man was found dead in his home this morning. Someone else from this school. Don't freak out, class is still going to go as normal. However, I was informed to make this announcement to ask that anyone who was friends with Eric Grimes stop by the office at the end of the day. Be careful and stay safe. Thank you."

About a week ago, Charles James, a guy Ethan only saw when passing in the halls was found dead in his bedroom. Everyone was confused, seeing as there were no signs of a break in or a physical altercation. The autopsy didn't find much, which was odd. It was ruled as a suicide, but with another incident just like it, that would probably be dismissed.

There it was again, the sick feeling Ethan's felt almost all day. He zoned out the murmurs of the other students about what happened and the loudness of his teachers voice as he tried to get them to settle down. He couldn't concentrate the rest of day, the sick feeling sticking with him while he thinks about his vision and the new girl in town.

The day felt like it dragged on, but Ethan finally found himself walking outside of the building to go home. Most kids were grouped up outside, the subject turning towards the bodies instead of lame weekend plans. He felt his phone buzz again and he let out a sigh, stepping to the side so he doesn't get ran over by other students.

He looked up as he pulled out his phone, almost dropping it when he did a double take. Off to the side surrounded by a group of people, Benny Weir was staring at him. His hands started shaking, and he cursed himself for being so nervous. This guy used to be his best friend, but now he shakes when ever he looks his way.

Ethan's eyes widen as Benny taps his friend on the shoulder, whispering something before nodding his head in Ethan's direction. Benny pushes off the car they were leaning on, looking as if he was about to walk over to him. Thankfully, blonde hair blocked his view and took his attention away from his ex-best friend.

"Ethan!" Rory shouted, making Ethan shush him.

"Rory! Walk home with me?" Ethan asks, pulling him away from the building before Rory could even respond.

"Woah, dude, what's wrong?" He has concern written all over his face. Ethan glanced behind him, noticing Benny still staring, but he went back to his friends. Rory turned around to see what Ethan was looking at before mouthing an "oh."

"So, did Sarah text you?" Rory asks, trying to get his mind off of Benny, which he appreciated.

"About the super important supernatural talk? Yeah." He responds as they walk.

"What do you thinks going on? Everything's been so peaceful, I'm kinda sad somethings about to ruin it." Rory made a pouty face that made Ethan laugh a bit.

"Me too. But, it was bound to happen eventually." He says, making Rory nod.

"Do you think it'd be cool if I stayed at yours? Sarah said we were all meeting at your place tonight and since I'm walking you home, I figured it'd make sense." He says nonchalantly, looking around at the surroundings he's passed a million times.

While Rory's altogether appearance didn't change, he was much more aware and tame. He was still a jokester, and he still had his moments of being clueless sometimes. Though, he really was never as clueless as everyone seemed to think he was. Now, he no longer got distracted easily by stupid things and thought a bit before he opened his mouth to talk.

Ethan stopped, making Rory look confused. "I'm sorry, we?" He asked, putting an emphasize on the we. He looked pale, and he was staring to get sweaty. Rory cursed himself a bit, forgetting that Ethan was a lot more timid.

"I'm assuming all of us; you, me, Sarah, Erica, and Benny." He said slowly, watching Ethan carefully.

"Benny?!" Ethan shouted. Another thing about Ethan was the panic attacks. He didn't get them too frequently, but when he did they were awful. However, Rory knows it's not hard to trigger one for him.

"Hey, breathe Ethan." Rory grabbed his shoulders, making Ethan look up at him. "It's gonna be okay, I promise."

Ethan nodded, taking deep breaths while putting his own hand over the one Rory has on his shoulder. He closed his eyes, doing the breathing exercises him and Rory went over. At first, Ethan tried to hide them. It worked for a bit, until Rory came over one night. It wasn't Rory, just the topic of their conversation. He had brought up the dance he wore a stupid spacesuit to, laughing at himself. Then he mentioned Ethan and Benny, then Sarah and Jesse. Flashbacks came to him, and the next thing he knew his chest was getting tighter and his breathing became heavier. Rory was freaked out, not sure what to do in the situation, not even sure what he did to cause it. But after Ethan had calmed down and he went home, he looked up all he could about panic attacks and ways to help. Ethan means it when he says he loves Rory more than Rory would ever know.

"That's it," Rory says calmly. Ethan finally started calming down, and they continued walking. "I promise, everything's going to be fine. I'll be there with you, for you. If things get awkward, R money will come to the rescue!"

Rory did a superman pose, making Ethan bust out laughing. "I'll even tell that story of the time you came hunting with me once."

Rory chuckled at the memory while Ethan shivered. "Hey, rats are so gross! And you just threw it at me, no warning or anything!" Ethan fake gagged making Rory nudge him a bit.

"You have to admit, it was pretty funny though." Ethan nodded in agreement.

They finally arrived to Ethan's house, immediately going to his room after he announced he was home. They played video games to pass the time, Rory making Ethan laugh and forget about the meeting for a bit. Unfortunately, that didn't last long when his mother called his name to tell him Sarah was there. His heart dropped, but took a deep breath. Rory smiled at him as to say, "you got this." They finally walked down the stairs, everyone's attention going to them.

"Oh, Rory! I didn't know you were here." Mrs. Morgan smiled before frowning again. "We're about to head out. But, Ethan, please be careful with Alex tonight. With all the deaths..." She trailed off.

"Oh, um." He says, "He actually had a last minute thing, so plans are cancelled."

"Oh." She frowned again before looking at Sarah. "I'm sorry dear, I thought he was going out tonight. However, you're still welcome to stay and babysit if you'd like!"

"Yeah, sure! I could always use the extra bit of cash." Sarah chuckled.

Once the Morgan's were gone, Sarah turned to Ethan and Rory. "Hey guys! It's been so long since we've talked. How are you?"

Ethan smiled awkwardly, hands playing with the hem of his shirt. "I'm fine." He says, as the same time Rory goes on a tangent. Sarah gave him an amused look before she heard Jane call her name.

"I'm gonna go try to get her busy with something while we wait for the others." She walked past them, making Ethan let out a sigh of relief.

Rory gave him a thumbs up before bouncing his way to the kitchen, which Ethan found a bit odd. Vampires didn't really need food, he thought. However, this was Rory so the thought didn't stay long.

Ethan took a seat on the couch, bouncing his leg up and down like he was earlier. He knew Erica and Benny would be there any minute. Hell, Benny literally lives next door. He wasn't prepared to see them, or any of his old friends really. He wasn't sure why he was so nervous. Benny used to be his best friend, the guy he'd go to everything with. Okay, not everything but most things. He had a feeling that as soon as Benny steps through his front door, the feelings he had for him would rush back and he isn't prepared for it.

Sarah walked down the stairs as the door rang. Ethan tensed up, the all-too familiar sick feeling settling in his stomach. He slid down the couch a bit, wishing he could disappear as he heard Sarah's voice.

"Benny, Erica! Right on time! Come in." She steps back so they could walk in.

"So, what is it this time, dorks?" Erica says dramatically, flopping onto the recliner in the corner. However, Ethan wasn't paying attention to her.

Benny stood awkwardly by the door, in the same house he practically grew up in. He doesn't understand why it felt so weird. He was wearing a pair of black skinny jeans, with a t-shirt of a band Ethan's never even heard of. He caught sight of his hands, noticing the outfit was topped with black nail polish. Ethan gaped at him without realizing.

He looked pretty much the same, besides his fashion sense now. Ethan can't lie, he was a huge fan of the change. Though, seeing him standing there as awkwardly as he was made him a bit sad. He missed the times when he would just come in unannounced, staying up till late hours of the night talking about any and everything.

Ethan shook himself out of his thoughts when Benny's eyes met his. Benny gave him a small smile before walking over to sit beside Sarah. Ethan smiled back, trying to ignore the way his heart flipped. _Fucking emotions_ , he thought to himself.

Sarah looked around the room, before her eyes landed on Ethan. "Hey, where did Rory go?"

As if he was waiting for a queue, Rory walked into the room with two cans of Ethan's favorite soda, which he only really drinks when he's nervous. Ethan smiled at him gratefully.

"The Rorsters here!" He said loudly, making them laugh a bit while Erica just muttered the word dork. He handed Benny one of the sodas, getting a small thank you before he sat beside Ethan. Rory sat close enough to wrap his arm around him. The others were thrown off a bit by the contact, but didn't question it.

Benny started at the soda in Ethan's hand. He knew Ethan only drank it when he got really nervous. But why would he be nervous? They all used to be close, so he doesn't really understand. He can't say he doesn't miss this, however. Maybe he wishes they could've at least met up under different circumstances. He also tried to ignore the jealousy that flared up as he watched the two of them.

Benny shook out of his thoughts before saying, "So, what's happening?"

"Maybe we should catch up a bit first?" Sarah asked, looking a bit hesitant even though she was the one who called the meeting. "We haven't talked in forever, and I don't even remember the last time we were in the same room together." If everyone noticed the sad look on her face, they ignored it.

"As fun as that sound," Erica started, twirling her hair around her finger. "I would prefer to catch up without the threat of a possible deadly situation hanging over us."

Rory and Benny chuckled while Sarah just rolled her eyes, but the smile on her face made it obvious there was no heat behind it. "I guess you're right. Well, I'm pretty sure we've all heard of the deaths, right?"

Everyone nodded so she continued. "Well, I don't exactly have any proof, but I have a very strong feeling something supernatural is involved."

Benny narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Wait, just a feeling? So there's nothing even for sure happening right now?"

Ethan looked at him, making his heart do a flip again from the sound of his voice. He inwardly groaned, mentally rolling his eyes at himself. Thankfully, Rory spoke up, taking his attention away from the other boy.

"Wait, a figurative feeling or a physical feeling?" He asked, sitting up a bit straighter.

"As strange as it sounds, physical. Ever since the first one, I keep getting this nauseous feeling? Not exactly like, hey I'm gonna throw up, but it's hard to explain in a different way." She explained, looking a bit pained.

Everyone sat up straighter at that. "Me too. To me, it kind of feels like a tingly sensation in my stomach. It usually only happens when magic is involved." Benny says, looking around the room.

"Assuming Rory has felt in since he asked, we've all felt it? That's way too strange." Erica pipes in, hair twirling forgotten

"Ethan? What about you? You've been pretty quiet over there." Sarah asks, making everyone's attention turn to him.

His eyes widened and his legs starts jumping up and down again. "U-um. Well, I-I" He stutters, looking at the ground.

Rory put his hand on his knee to stop his leg from bouncing as well as a form of comfort. Again, the other were taken back at the contact, also surprised at the stuttering mess Ethan had become.

Ethan have Rory a thankful look and a deep breath before responding. "Y-yeah. I've felt it all day, too."

"Great." Benny says, sitting back against the couch. "Looks like the supernaturals came back for some fun."

"Why do you think it's connected to the murders?" Erica asked, ignoring Benny.

"The whole thing is just strange. They're just found dead, with everything looking perfectly normal. They can't even find a natural cause of death." She responds, the others humming in agreement.

"It seems like whatever or whoever it is, is only going after guys." Rory says, "I've read up on them. From an outsiders view, it seemed to be the only connection."

"Yay, we know one thing that could be literally anything." Erica rolled her eyes. "Do any of you at least have any suspects? Anyone who seems out of the ordinary?"

It was quiet for a second, everyone trying to think. Ethan immediately thinks back to earlier when he ran into Emery. He thinks back to vision he had, slowly putting the points together. Part of it made sense now. A guy in his bed, in his room, sleeping. He's assuming Emery either was the monster or she at least knows about it. He cleared his throat, making the others turn their heads to him.

"W-what about the new girl?" He asked.

"I never talked to her, but I have a class with her." Benny spoke up.

"Yeah, she's in a couple of mine too." Ethan says.

Turns out, everyone in the room has at least one class with her. It made Ethan a bit more suspicious of her. He knew and has saw too many things to consider it just a coincidence.

"What about her, though?" Benny asked, staring at him. Ethan took a deep breath, reminding himself to focus on the conversation.

"I-I ran into her earlier. Literally." Rory snorted at that, making Ethan nudge him playfully. "Her names Emery. When I shook her hand, I um," Ethan stopped for a second, taking more deep breaths. The sick feeling was back, and he's starting to wonder if it's been there the whole time or if it's just the pressure of his old friends' eyes on him.

"You what?" Erica asks impatiently. "Spit it out, you dork. What happened to you? You used to be way more talkative."

Ethan winced, the remark hitting him a bit too hard. Sarah nudged her, giving her a look that says "not now."

"Dude, don't. Leave him alone. He'll get there without you snapping at him." Rory narrowed his eyes as he spoke, going into a sort of protective mode. Benny and Sarah looked a bit shocked, remembering the Rory who would pawn over Erica all the time. Erica raised her eyebrow, looking a bit mad.

They knew Rory and Ethan were still good friends, but they never knew they were this close. They've also never heard Rory snap on anyone like that, so that was a shock of its own. Ethan's eyes were wide, staring up at him.

Being more aware of things, Rory's noticed how shy and anxious Ethan is now. He hardly talked to others, won't even speak up in class most of the time. Rory assumes it's because he had been used to the other always being around. Ethan always has someone by his side, either to help ignore the bullies when they started being ignorant towards him or even just to talk to on his way to class. He knows Ethan won't stick up for himself, and he'd be damned if others took advantage of that.

"Guys, knock it off." Benny spoke, breaking the tension. "Ethan, what'd you have?"

Ethan gulped before responding, "I had a vision. It-" Before he could finish, he was interrupted by the doorbell ringing.

Everyone's head snapped towards the door, a bit confused on who it could be. If it were his parents or Benny's grandma, they would've just walked in. Ethan can't think of anyone who wou-

 _Fuck_. He thought.

"What time is it?" He asked, standing up.

"7, why?" Sarah asked. "Who's here?"

"Fuck." Ethan whispered. "You know the plans I told you about? Well, I forgot to cancel them."

He ran to the door before they could respond. Once he opened it, he was met with an excited Alex on the other side.

"Hey, E! You ready?" Alex smiled. It faltered when he saw the look on Ethan's face.

He looked to the side, noticing everyone staring at him. Rory had a small smile on his face as he watched the two, knowing the things that happen between them. Ethan stepped outside, closing the door behind him.

"I am so sorry, Alex. I won't be able to go out tonight." He says in a rush, feeling extremely guilty.

"Oh." Alex says in a small tone. "Can I ask why?"

"Um." Ethan says, trying to think of something. "Sarah ended up sick, so she wasn't able to babysit and she couldn't find another sitter so last minute. I was going to text you, and I'm so sorry. I forgot an-" He rambled, getting cut off.

"E, it's fine." Alex says, smiling a bit despite the sad look in his eyes. "I understand. I kind of wish you would've let me know before hand but shit comes up. We can always reschedule the date." He shrugged.

"Thank you, Al- wait." Ethan starts before realizing why he said. "A date?"

Alex blushes, looking to the ground. "U-um, that's what I was going for. If y-you don't want it to be, it doesn't have to, I just thought, you know, the whole making out sometimes things meant something was there. So I wanted to give a date a try, but-"

"Alex." Ethan chuckled, "Calm down. It's fine. I wouldn't mind a date."

Alex beamed at him, "Really?! Yes!" He fist bumbed the air.

"Well, I'll probably be going now. I'll text you with more details later." Ethan smiled fondly at him before nodding. He turned around, going to open the door before Alex stopped him.

"Do you think that I could..." He started while walking a bit closer. "Get a goodbye kiss?" Ethan felt his face flush as he saw Alex's eyes glance at his lips.

Ethan leaned it, giving him a soft kiss on the lips before waving goodbye. Once he was inside, he took in everyone's faces and made a huge realization.

Vampires have super hearing.

His eyes widened at Rory's excited, yet nervous for him looks, Erica and Sarah's shocked looks, and Benny's confusion. He cleared his throat, sitting beside Rory again.  
"S-sorry about that, so the vision." Ethan started, leaving them no space for questions he didn't want to answer right now.

He explained the vision to them, Benny writing it down. He wasn't sure why, but he wasn't gonna stop him. "So, Emery is definitely in on it. How do we go from here?" Erica asks.

"Well, we need to find out what she is, what she wants, and how to make her disappear." Sarah says. "However, I don't think we'll get much done tonight. How about we meet up tomorrow?" Sarah asks.

Everyone nodded in agreement. "We can't meet here though. Ethan's parents will be home. I'll think of somewhere and then text you guys with the details?" Sarah added on.

"Sounds great to me!" Benny says standing up. "I'm probably gonna head out, and get as much sleep as possible. I have a feeling tomorrow's gonna be a long one."

"I'm gonna go too. Not to sleep but, I could really go for some food." Erica says before looking over at Rory. "Wanna come with? Sarah's kinda busy with the whole babysitting thing."

Sarah rolled her eyes while Rory glances at Ethan. "Actually, Ethan, is it cool if I stay over tonight? We have to meet up tomorrow anyways."

Ethan nods without hesitation, oblivious to the odd looks their friends were giving them. They said their goodbyes, Sarah giving Erica and Benny both a hug much to their surprise. Erica walked out while Benny turned and waved at Ethan and Rory before following her.

Sarah looked at the other two. "Ethan, um." She started, looking a bit nervous. "About what was said when you were outsi-"

"Actually, I'm gonna head to bed. Benny was right, tomorrow seems like a big day." He laughed nervously, cutting Sarah off. He didn't wanna have that conversation then.

"Are you coming up, or are you gonna stay down here?" He asked Rory.

"I'm probably gonna chill down here until Sarah leaves, to keep her company." He said, elbowing her playfully. "However, we are talking later!" He gave Ethan a knowing look that just made him chuckle.

  
Ethan nodded before saying goodnight and walking up the stairs. Instead of sleeping, he stared at his ceiling while thinking about the supernatural and the stupid feelings he has for Benny that just won't seem to go away.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I wanted to say a few things before you start reading!  
> \- I apolgize for any typing mistakes, I was a bit excited. I’m going to go back an edit it later!  
> \- I’m sorry if some of the info about succubus is wrong, I’ve seen a lot of different info on the internet about them so I’m kinda just going off different things!  
> \- the beginning may be a bit confusing, but i promise it makes sense in the next chapter!

_Glancing around, he noticed that everything seemed off. The last thing he remembered was falling asleep in his bedroom, passing out as soon as he got in bed due to an exhausting day. While he might still be in his room, it different, unfamiliar. Everything seemed to be flipped around._

_Dreaming, I have to be dreaming, he thought while looking around once more. Before he could get out of his, (was it his?) bed to find an explanation, he turned his head and jumped_.

_A woman was standing at the end of his bed, staring at the ground in front of her. "W-who are you?" He stuttered out._

_She looked at him, making his breath hitch. She smirked a bit as he took in her beauty, noticing his eyes roaming all over her. Instead of answering right away, she slowly crawled her way to where he was sitting on his bed._

_The closer she got, the more observant he got. In the face, she looked normal, despite the horns growing out of her forehead and her eyes sparkling with someone he couldn't place. He tried to look away from her and leave the room, but he couldn't. It was almost like he was drawn to her or in some sort of trance that makes him drawn to her._

_Once she reached him at the top of the bed_ , _she sat in his lap while giving him an uneasy smile. "The girl of your dreams."_

 _The cold tone of her voice sent shivers down his spine. Before he could react, her lips were on his. He lost his thought process, the only thoughts in his head seemed to be touching,_ _kissing, her._

_She pulled away to take her shirt off, pulling his over his head as well. They reconnected their lips, every concern he had gone. Until he started running his hands up her back, going over something he didn't think was supposed to be there._

_He pulled away quickly, gasping at the wings that were now behind her. She gave him another smirk, pushing him on the bed._

-

The next morning, Ethan and Rory found themselves standing on Benny's front porch. Ethan glanced down at his phone, rereading the message Sarah had sent to all of them the night before.

_Benny's house, 9AM tomorrow. We should probably get his Grandma caught up. - Sarah._

He knows she's right, his Grandma is in the know and has lived in Whitechapel her whole life. They figure if anyone might have an idea of what they were dealing with, it's her.

It was currently 9:30, making them 30 minutes late. They got up on time, well Ethan did while Rory didn't sleep. However, he spent a good 10 minutes after his shower, stressing about what to wear and trying to swallow his anxiety. Despite the fact that he was practically dead on his feet, at least he felt comfortable with his outfit. Rory, on the other hand, was a ball of fucking sunshine and he doesn't know a time where he envied Rory as much as he did then.

He pocketed his phone, glancing at Rory who stood beside him to throw an arm over his shoulder. "Whenever you're ready, dude!" It was said without any hint of sarcasm or annoyance. Instead, it was filled with patience and understanding. Has he mentioned how much he loved Rory?

When he finally knocked, it was a relief to see Grandma Weir open it. He was taken back by the bone-crushing hug she gave him, Rory next. "Ethan, Rory! It feels like it's been decades! Trust me, I'd know!"

Rory chuckled as she let go. "Please, Mrs. Weir, you don't even look that old!"

"Oh, stop." She says, playfully waving him off. "You two are just as handsome as I last saw you, and Ethan, I love your new clothes!"

"T-thank you, Grandma Weir." He smiled.

"So, can we come in? Being a vampire might have it's perks, but this is definitely a con." Rory says, throwing his arm around Ethan again as if he can feel his anxiety starting to flare up. Ethan appreciates the touch.

"Of course! Come in, come in." She steps aside as they walk in. "The girls are here already, they're in the living room."

Ethan took in the house around him as they walked to the others. Now he understands how Benny felt the night before. It was the same house he's been in millions of times before. He can pinpoint the areas that might be scratched up when him and Benny got too into whatever game they were playing, or the areas where they'd sit and talk for hours on end. It was the same, yet so strange and unfamiliar. It made his heart ache.

"Hey, guys!" Sarah said, beaming at them. She gave him a hug, which startled him a bit. She gave Rory one too, which didn't seem to surprise him so he assumes they've cleared the air between them last night.

"Dorks." Erica nodded in their direction, with a small smile.

Benny looked up from the book he was reading, giving them a small wave and a smile. Of course, Ethan's heart sped up again as he waved back. Can his feelings just not for once?

He noticed the pile of books on the floor while following Rory to take a seat in front of the couch. "So, anything we need to be caught up on since we got here a bit late?" Rory asks, grabbing one of the books from the pile.

"Nothing new." Benny says. "We got grandma caught up. She says it sounds familiar, but it's not something she's dealt with first hand so she doesn't quite remember what it could be. So far, we've just been looking through these to see what we can find." He pointed towards the pile of books while Evelyn nodded her head to confirm.

She looked as if she wanted to speak, but Erica beat her to it. "Yeah, and so far, no luck!" She groaned, slamming her book closed to pick up another.

"And it's only been like 30 minutes, calm down." Benny rolled his eyes, not looking up from the book this time.

Erica raised her eyebrows at him, arguing back. "And in those 30 minutes, we haven't gotten anything done. We need a real plan."

Ethan and Rory watched the two with wide eyes, while Sarah just looked annoyed at the two. "And how do you expect us to come up with that without knowing what the hell this thing even is?!" Benny exclaimed.

Evelyn sat back and watched the scene in front of her unfold. She's having a hard time believing this is the same group of people who used to have at least one other person in it by there side at all times. She took each of them in, noticing the short temper Erica's developed and the patience Sarah's lost. She notices Rory's new found attention span while she can practically feel the anxiety rolling off of Ethan. She doesn't understand how a group of people who were so close could become almost strangers to each other.

"Guys!" Sarah shouts, before Erica could argue back. "Stop! This isn't going to help of think of something any faster!"

"And do you have any ideas? Because, I'm all ears." Erica replies sarcastically, making Sarah narrow her eyes. Despite his greater judgment, Ethan decided to speak up.

"She's not wrong, arguing isn't going to get us anywhere." Unfortunately, that just turned Erica towards him.

"Okay, Mr. Seer. Why don't you have a vision that's actually helpful?" Ethan winced, leaning more into the couch beside him.

"You know it doesn't work like that." Rory jumps in, protective mode seemingly activated. "Why don't you do something helpful? All you seem to be doing is complaining."

They all, sans Ethan who just looks like he wants to disappear, started bickering back and fourth. Evelyn looked on in disbelief before breaking it up.

"Stop!" She shouted, making it go quiet immediately as they all snapped their heads in her direction. "What has gotten into all of you? You haven't even been together for more than two hours. Do any of you expect to get this done by bickering about things that won't even matter later?"

Everyone grumbled, almost looking ashamed. "So, stop fighting. You need each other, whether you admit or not. You each bring something special and are helpful in different ways. How about actually trying to work together instead putting a bigger wedge between your friendship?"

"You're right." Sarah sighed. "I'm sorry, guys. This is just so frustrating."

"Yeah, me too." Benny replied, picking up his forgotten book that he must've dropped when they were arguing. They each apologized slowly, even Erica which took them by surprise.

"Now, Erica, I don't think you were wrong." Evelyn says, taking a seat in the recliner in front of them. "Looking through these might not help find the answer even faster."

She thought for a moment, looking at everyone individually as she tried to think of something. "You said they were all male, correct? Teenagers?"

Sarah nodded. "Yeah, and there were no signs that pointed to any reasoning of death. Even the autopsy's came back clean."

Evelyn hummed. "That is strange." She muttered. "I wonder if there was something there that the human eye alone couldn't see."

"What do you mean?" Erica asked, looking genuinely confused.

"Well, think of it this way. Whenever Jane took Benny's spell book to fix her doll, but instead made her come to life instead. You three automatically knew what was going on, you could see the supernatural aspect of it because you were in the know of what was happening. Now, when Rory saw her in Ethan's bedroom, he saw a normal girl, correct?"

Rory nodded, shivering at the memory. It definitely wasn't one of his brightest moments. "Regular people are going to look form normal, reasonable things. They wouldn't think to look deeper for something they don't know exists."

"That.." Benny started. "Makes a lot of sense, actually."

Everyone nodded in agreement. "I think we should look deeper, since no one else is. Did any of you know the victims?"

"I've seen Eric around school a few times, but Charles used to be in chess club." Ethan responds, looking at Benny to see if he remembered him.

"Oh yeah!" He says, face lighting up. "I always complained about him, I swear he cheated every time." Ethan chuckled a bit at that, making Benny smile at him.

"I think we had a few classes together, but we never spoke." Sarah says, the others nodding in agreement.

"Well, that scratches out any personal reasoning." Evelyn says, thinking again for a moment. "You said they were found in their rooms? Both of them?"

They nodded, which gave her an idea. "What if a few of you went and looked around where they were found while a couple of you stay here to look through the books?"

"Yes!" Sarah says in an excited voice, "That might actually help a lot."

"Well, who's doing what? Because this," Erica started, waving her hand at the books. "Is super boring."

"Well, me, you and Rory could check things out. Maybe the heightened sense of smell could help us find something? Benny and Ethan could stay here, since they're the best at research."

While everyone seemed to agree, Ethan's heart dropped at the thought of being alone with Benny. Rory gave him a knowing look, but stood up with the others.

"Wait." Evelyn said, making everyone stop. "What if Ethan goes with you?" She saw the look on his face when Benny was mentioned, and while she missed them being best friends, she didn't want to rush things.

"His seer ability's might be a bigger help than you think." She gave a pointed look towards Erica, who just looked down in response. "Rory, you can stay here to help look through these."

"Sweet!" Rory says, jumping over towards Benny to sit beside him.

"If he doesn't get distracted by things every ten minutes." Benny mumbled, Evelyn giving him a sharp look that made him nervous.

"Actually." Ethan spoke up without hesitation. "He's gotten a lot better about that." Rory smiles at him, giving him a high-five. They both miss the jealous glance that Benny sent Rory before schooling his features.

Evelyn didn't.

"Wait, how are we supposed to know where they live?" Sarah asks, looking around the room. They didn't really think about that.

"Well, it should have it in the news reports." Ethan says, pulling out his phone to pull them up. Rory smiled at him, proud that he was able to speak without stuttering.

"And, got them!" Ethan says, holding his phone to where they could see. "It looks like they live on the same street."

"Great! Good job, Ethan." Sarah says to him, making him flustered.

Benny rolls his eyes from where he's sitting. They haven't seen each other for a while, but as soon as Sarah smiles at him, he goes right back go pinning. freshman Ethan. He doesn't understand why he's so upset, he just doesn't understand it.

"Well, lets go! We don't have all day!" Erica says, leaving the room.

"Okay then. We'll be back soon, guys." Sarah says, beginning to walk out before being stopped.

"Be careful." Evelyn says seriously. "You never know if something is lurking."

-

It was silent between the three of them as they walked. Sarah looked like she wanted to say something, but wasn't sure how to phrase it. Erica walked ahead of them, wanting to get this over with. She wasn't big on wasting time.

"How long is it from here?" Erica asks, making the three of them stop.

Ethan looked down to his phone. "It's about a 10 minute walk."

"Ugh." Erica groaned. "Can't we just, you know, zoom there? This is taking too long. You can grab onto Sarah and we can get there faster."

Ethan was about to respond before Sarah interrupted. "Actually, Erica, you go on ahead. I kind of wanted to talk to Ethan anyways."

Erica shrugged before she was gone. Ethan's heart was pounding. He can't tell if he's sweating because of the weather or if it's just his nerves. "Woah, Ethan." Sarah says after taking in his nervous posture. "Calm down, it's just me." She smiled at him.

He calmed down at the smile, thinking back to freshman and sophomore year. He was okay, this is Sarah. She wouldn't do anything to intentionally hurt him.

"W-wh-" Ethan cleated his throat, cursing internally at himself. "What'd you wanna talk about?"

Sarah smiles as they continue walking. "Just wanted to catch up a bit, see how you're doing. It's been a while since we've talked. I do kinda miss you, you know."

He chuckled a bit. "I'm doing..." He started. How was he doing? All together, he'd say fine. Sure, there was the anxiety and the flare ups, but he wasn't doing too bad. Despite the denial of missing his friends and his feelings for Benny, he supposed he's doing better than he could be. "Fine."

"Fine? Just fine?" Sarah asks, "No details?"

"I mean, there's not much to say, you know?" Sarah nodded in agreement, not wanting to push him. "How've you been? How's your job going?"

"It's going." Sarah shrugged. "It's not the best, but it's cash, you know? My friends say I work too much, that I might be putting too much on myself. Little do they know..." She trailed off, revealing her fangs and sending him a wink.

"Ah." Ethan laughs a bit. "How have you been handling that, by the way? I know you've probably gotten more used to it, but I know you hated it at first."

She shrugged again. "It's something I've came to terms with. I'm still not a huge fan of eating actually humans, so I've managed to find my way around pretty quickly."

Ethan nodded in understanding, another silence falling on them. He hates how quiet he's gotten, but he has no idea what to say. "I love your outfit by the way, I'm totally digging this new style." She points are him, waving her finger up and down.

"Thanks." He says, smiling at her. "It took many trips to the local thrift store with Rory and my other friends, and many terrible outfits to find what I actually liked."

"It's cute." She says. If this was Ethan two years ago, he would've turned into a mess at the compliment. "It definitely suits you."

"Yeah," He says, "My friend, Alex, helped with it a lot. He said that clothes are the key to confidence. If you don't at least feel comfortable in your clothes, you'll probably never be comfortable.

Sarah laughs, "He does have a point." She went quiet for a second. "Actually, speaking of Alex..." She started.

"W-we really don't have to talk about it." Ethan said, his face flushing.

"I promise I'm not going to ask any personal questions." Sarah said, holding her hands up in defense. "I just feel like I tuned into something I wasn't supposed to hear, and I wanted to apologize for that."

Ethan was a bit surprised, not expecting that at all. "Oh, um." He started, trying to find the right words. "It's okay, it's not really your fault."

"But still." She says, looking ahead of her instead of at him. "I also wanted to let you know that, while we haven't been close for a while, I'm hoping this might change that. I support you, so much and if anyone gives you any problems, I'll knock them around a bit."

Ethan smiled at her, feeling grateful that he has people like her. "Thank you, I appreciate it."

Sarah smiles back, elbowing him playfully. "While I said I wouldn't ask personal questions, I have to know. Are you and Alex..."

Ethan blushes. "N-no, no. We're just friends." Sarah have him a pointed look, making his face heat up more. "Okay, friends with... benefits I guess."

"Wow, didn't know you had it in you." Sarah said, no real heat behind it, making Ethan laugh.

"Yeah, well." He started, "I guess when you stop pretending to be someone you're not, a whole other part of you opens up."

Sarah nodded in understanding. If anyone knew how that felt, it was her. "So, freshman and sophomore year..."

"I think it was kind of an act." Ethan finished for her. "Not purposely! Like, you were really pretty and sweet, it's just..." Sarah's laughing cut him off.

"Ethan, calm down. I get it, it's okay." She put a hand on his shoulder, making him relax.

"I guess, in a way, I kind of knew how I felt. I was so deep in the closet, buried under a block of denial. You were the first girl to actually, probably be my friend and show me attention so I guess it just made sense for me to have a crush on you."

Sarah nodded, listening intently. She wanted to say something, but Ethan kept going. He was trusting her with this, and she wanted to make sure he got to say what he needed to.

"It also gave me a chance for my feelings to focus on you instead of B-" He cleared his throat, looking away from her. "Of someone." He finished.

Maybe he didn't say his name, but Sarah had an idea. "So, you're-"

"Oh my God, what's taking you two so long?" Erica shouted from behind them, making both of them jump.

"Don't do that!" Ethan said, hand on his chest.

"Then hurry up! You two are slower than an old person walking through the grocery store." She grabbed both of them without giving them a chance to respond, and next thing they knew, they were standing in front of Eric's house.

"Wow." Ethan says as Erica let go. "I don't think I'll ever get used to that."

"So, what exactly do we do now that we're here, just look around the house," Sarah asked.

"No, we probably need to search the rooms." Erica said as if it's no big deal.

"What!" Ethan exclaimed, giving her a bewildered look. "What if we get caught?!"

"Calm down, geek." Erica rolled her eyes. "No ones even here, I made sure. Charles house is clear, too."

Sarah and Ethan stared at her for second, making her throw her hands up. "What?! You two were taking forever, so I went ahead and checked. Both windows are unlocked, it'd probably be better to climb through the window instead of going through the front door." They both sighed but agreed with her. It wasn't difficult climbing into Eric's window, seeing as the house was one floor.

"Well, it's definitely a boy's room." Erica muttered as she took in the messiness of it. There were clothes scattered around, comic posters littering the walls. "What exactly are we even looking for?"

"Anything that looks out of the ordinary, I guess." Sarah shrugged, ignoring the "great" Erica muttered. They searched around separately, but for some reason, Ethan stared at the unmade bed in the middle of the room. He had an uneasy feeling, the same one he got when he ran into Emery at school.

He tried to look around like the others, but his attention kept getting drawn to the bed. He decided not to ignore it, slowly walking over to it. "Ethan?" Sarah asks, sending him a worried glances. "You okay? Did you find something?"

He shook his head, not really finding the words to speak. Erica was staring now too, with a hint of concern on her face. Once he reached the bed, he grasped the headboard, gasping loudly.

_He looked up from the bed, noticing Sarah and Erica had disappeared. "Guys?" He called out, only to get no response._

_He turned towards the bed, looking down at it to notice Eric laying there, making him jump back. That's when he noticed the girl standing at the end. It was the same girl he saw when he touched Emery. Now though, he can see the resemblance between them. The hair, which was overlooked the first time due to the horns and wings. What stood out was her piercing eyes._

_At first, he wondered if she could see him. That was answered when her head snapped up in his direction, making him walk back until his back hit the wall behind him. She slowly crawled on the bed, straddling Eric, who seemed to be sleeping. She smirked at him, before giving the boy underneath her a long kiss. Once she pulled back, a bright, glowing smoke followed._

_"Who are you?" Ethan asked, trying to act less nervous than he actually was._

_"Oh, you'll see." She said, her voice sending shivers down his spine. "You'll all see."_

_She stood up, walking towards him. "You can't stop me. You won't stop me."_

_"What do you want?" He shouted. His vision started getting fuzzy, and he knew this was about to end._

_She walked until they were inches away from each other. "Souls." She whispered._

He gasped again, jumping once he saw Sarah and Erica in front of him. He took a step forward, only for his legs to give out. They caught him before he hit the ground, setting him on the bed.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Sarah asks, looking at him with concern.

"We need to go. We need to go, now." He says.

Before they could respond, the girls' ears perked up at the front door opening. "Shit." Erica whispered.

"Come on, let's go check out Charles house." Sarah says, walking towards the window.

"No!" Ethan says loudly, startling them. "I think I know what we're dealing with. We need to go back to Benny's house."

Deciding not to question it, Sarah nodded before jumping out the window. Ethan got up, about to do the same before being stopped by Erica grabbing his arm.

"Look, I know this isn't the time, but I don't know if we'll ever be alone for me to talk to you so, I'm gonna make this quick."

Ethan looked a bit confused, but before he could question it, she continued.

“You’re a dork.” She started, “You’re always going to be a dork, but you’re my dork. I know I can say mean things sometimes, it’s kind of my thing, and I’m sorry.”

Ethan was taken back. Erica’s never said something so nice to him before. He stared at where she was standing as she walked towards the window, mouth open.

“Hey, come on! We don’t need to get caught!” She says, as if nothing even happened. She jumped out the window, looking back at him. “Oh, and like Sarah said, if anyone gives you shit, I’ll be there to knock them around too. Alex better treat you right.” She gave him a wink before walking away.

Ethan wonders if he’s still in his vision.

-

“Stop.”

Benny looked up from the book he’s reading at the sound of Rory’s voice. It was just them too, his Grandma gone to look in the attic for other books. “Um, what?”

“Dude.” Rory said, looking up at him. “I know you dress like the vampire from Dusk, but now you’re brooding like him too. Stop.”

Benny opened his mouth before closing it again. He didn’t realize he was brooding. “Hey! I dress so much better than he does!” He said in an offended tone.

Rory thought for a second before nodding. “Fair. What’s up with you anyways? And don’t say nothing, because that’s obviously a lie.”

Benny sighed, closing his book and sitting up straighter. Rory did the same, except he was still looking through the book in his hand. “This just feels so weird.”

“What does?” Rory has a feeling he knows what he’s talking about. He feels it too, he’s sure they all do. He also hasn’t missed the longing looks he sends towards Ethan. See, he’s much more aware than people think.

“Everything!” Benny groans. “Us being around each other again, this mysterious monster.”

Rory nodded in agreement, “Yeah, it does feel weird, but it doesn’t have to be.”

Benny narrowed his eyes, opening another book. “What do you mean?”

“Well,” Rory turned towards him. “We’re the ones making it weird, all of us. We don’t know what to say to each other, and it’s like we never knew each other at all. But we do. I know what to say to Erica when her temper gets too hot. You know what to say to Ethan when he geeks out. Ethan knows what to say to Sarah when she starts feeling bad about herself. We know each other. Sure, we’ve all changed a bit, but it happens. Now, we’re just tiptoeing around each other, expecting things to immediately go back to normal. In reality, we’re the ones stopping it from doing that.”

Rory shrugged, going back to his book while Benny just gapes at him, almost speechless. “When the hell did you get so deep?” He chuckled.

“I kind of always have been.” Rory chuckled with him. “Everyone kinda threw me into the ‘funny but clueless friend’ category so I played the part.”

Benny winces a bit. “Yeah, that’s partially my fault. I guess we never really took you seriously, I’m sorry, dude.”

“It’s no biggie.” Rory said, glancing up from his book. “Like I said, I played the part. If I’m being honest, I don’t think I stopped playing the part until Ethan and I got closer.”

And there it was, Rory thought. The longing look on Benny’s face gave away his emotions. “When did you two get so close? I know you two were friends, but...” He trailed off.

He wanted to know when he was replaced. He knows it’s not just Rory’s fault, or Ethan’s. They all drifted, and none of them tried to stop it. Seeing Ethan so close again, especially seeing how he acted with Rory, made him miss his best friend more than anything. As if he could read his mind, Rory sent him an understanding look.

“It just kinda happened. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I think Ethan’s has the most drastic change.” Benny snorted, that was obvious to anyone. “He’s so timid now. His anxiety’s gotten bad, and I’ve learned how to help him with it. Adding onto that, the personal changes that’s came to him, he needed a friend and I wanted to be there. It was never really a set day, or time when it happened. It just did.”

Benny nodded, not really knowing what to say. He wishes he would’ve been the one to be there for Ethan, and he wanted to ask what he meant by personal changes, but he knew it wasn’t his place to ask. He missed him. Hell, he missed all of them. He wonders if they miss him too. By the look on Rory’s face, he thinks maybe they do.

“He misses you.” Rory starts, and Benny’s starting to think vampires can read minds. “I miss you. We all do. If I’m being honest, I’m hoping this whole situation will bring us closer.”

“Yeah, me too.” Benny starts, “Skateboardings fun and all, but I miss playing video games and getting into magic trouble with you guys.”

Rory laughs, making Benny chuckle a bit. “You know, it’s never too late to try again. I say, after this whole thing is over and done with, me, you, and Ethan can have another go at who can put the most marshmallows in their mouth like we used to? I feel like we have a lot of catching up to do.”

Benny laughs, nodding his head. “Hell yeah, I already know I have both of you beat.” He looked down at his book before freezing.

Rory was about to argue, stopping when he saw the look on his face. “What’s up?” He asked.

Benny jumped up, making Rory do the same. He walked over to him, holding the book out. “I think I got it!” He says before reading outloud.

“Succubus.” He says, the uneasy feeling coming to him after the word rolls off his tongue. “A female demon, the male demon called Inccubus. She’s believed to appear in the dreams of sleeping men, in which she has sexual intercourse with, sucking out their souls.”

Rory shivers, both of them making eye contact. “Harsh”

“It can either leave the men feeling extreme exhaustion, or even death.” Benny continues before looking back up at Rory. “We need to call the others.”

Rory nods, grabbing the book Benny gave him to keep reading. He had gotten halfway through the page when Benny comes back to him. “They’re on their way back, apparently Ethan has an idea of what it could be also.”

Rory nods at him, before looking back up at him. “So, now we know what it is. How the hell do we get rid of it?”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bethan's turn to reconnect!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!!
> 
> Again, I just want to apologize for any typo mistakes, and if the information on the Succubus is incorrect. I saw many different ways on how to get rid of them, so I couldn't figure out which one was correct so I kind of just put my own spin on it!

Once they figured out what the were dealing with, finding how to kill it became easy. According to Grandma Weir's many books of supernatural knowledge, it was simple enough; stabbing it in the heart with a special dagger. Unfortunately, nothing really does come easy to them. There were certain rules that came with it. One, it really did have to be a special dagger; pure silver with runes they don't even know what means carved into it. Two, it had to be stabbed directly in the heart. Three, it had to be in human form when it's stabbed for it to even work.  
Evelyn didn't seem to have any special, rune covered daggers laying around so she had to drive two towns over to a special shop that one of her old friends owned.

They had planned on meeting up again Sunday to figure out what to do next, but Sarah had to work and Evelyn was going to be out of town. They all would've rather had gotten it over with sooner than later, but logically they knew they couldn't come up a plan without those two. So far, the only thing they know they need to do was figure out a way to lure in the new girl. Unfortunately, Ethan was nominated to be the one to try to get closer to her due to his seer abilities.

There's really no better way to get closer to her than school, which brings Ethan to his current predicament.

It was Monday morning, and Ethan was slowly walking to his locker. He was on edge, jumping at almost every screech from his other peers, or even at the slam of a locker. Rory had promised Sarah and Erica he'd skip class to get food before hand, wanting to get enough to last a few days incase things get too out of hand.

He let out a sigh of relief when he finally reached his locker, opening to get his books. Since Rory was unavailable, he was hoping Alex would stick around him that day when he tries to get closer to Emery, but he was nowhere to be found. Before he could get concerned, someone walked up to him.

"Hey." Benny said, leaning against the lockers as Ethan jumps.

"Dude." Ethan said, hand over his chest, making Benny chuckle a bit. "Don't sneak up on people!"

His mouth went dry when he looked at Benny, all thoughts of Alex out of his head. He wasn't in his usual clothes, wearing a regular pair of jeans with a black Henley. His stomach was going crazy at the sight of him, him not realizing he zoned out gaping at him.

"Ethan? Dude, are you even listening?" Benny said before a smug smile made it's way on his face, "You know, a picture would probably last longer." He teased.

Ethan snapped his head back to his locker, breaking the eye contact. He felt his face heating up, and he really wished Benny didn't have that affect on him. "I- um. I di- I didn't-" He stuttered out before Benny's laugh cut him off.

"Calm down, I was just teasing." He looked back over at Benny, heart fluttering at the smile on his face.

"So..." Ethan trailed off, watching Benny's face go from happy to nervous. It was strange to him, since he's used to being the nervous one around Benny.

"So, um." Benny started, rubbing the back of his neck. "I know we're waiting for the others and all, but since you and I are the best at coming up with the plans, I was thinking maybe I could come over to yours and we could brainstorm a bit?"

Ethan took in a sharp breath at the thought of being alone with Benny. He glanced at him, the small smile on his face, despite the nervous look in his eyes. He couldn't really bring himself to say no.

"Um, yeah, sure." Ethan smiled at him.

It was Benny's turn for his heart to flutter at the smile on Ethan's face. He brushed it off, not wanting to deal with what it meant when he hasn't even gotten a chance to properly talk to the other boy again. Once they caught up and dealt with the crazy, soul-stealing new girl, he'd deal with it then.

"Great! So, talk to the new girl yet?" Benny asked casually as Ethan shut his locker.

"No." Ethan mumbled, falling into a steady step beside him. "I don't even know how I'm supposed to talk to her. I can't even talk to you without stuttering!"

Benny chuckled a bit. He did want to know what all that was about, but again, not the time. "Well, you seem to be fine talking to me right now." He shrugged.

"Huh." Ethan said, thoughtfully. "I guess you're right."

The bell rang, signaling the boys needed to part ways to go to class. Benny nudged the other playfully, giving him another heart-swooning smile. "Good luck. See you later, E."

Before Ethan could respond, Benny walked away. Now, not only does he have to deal with Emery, he has to keep his emotions in check with Benny. However, that seemed to be the only thing on his mind the rest of the day. He zoned out in classes, pissing off a couple teachers when he didn't know the answer to whatever they were talking about. Next thing he knew, he was sitting in History class, which was also the first class he had with Emery.

He sat in the back, like he usually does due to his newfound shyness. This time, though, instead of paying attention, his focus was on the raven-haired girl. As if she could feel him staring, she turned around. Ethan snapped away from her gaze, trying his best to focus on what his teacher was saying.

"Seeing as we just got done with learning about the Midevil period, it should be time for a test-" Before he could finish, multiple groans were heard from around the class. "Calm down, calm down. I decided that, this time, I'll let a group project take the place fo a test."

Ethan zoned out as he started talking about him picking partners, turning the class mummer into more groans. He turned his head back to Emery, who seemed to still be watching him. This time, he narrowed his eyes at him instead of looking away. She sent him an innocent smile, turning her head back around to the teacher.

"For group four, Ethan and Emery," He jumped as his name fell out his teacher's mouth.

"Um, wait, what?" Ethan said louder than he meant, making a few people in the class snicker that made him want to disappear.

"You and Emery are partners for the project." His teacher said without looking up from his paper.

Ethan mumbled out a small "great" as his teacher continued. He looked in front of him as Emery made her way to the empty desk beside him.

"Hi!" She said in a cheery tone, eyes sparkling despite the dim lighting. For a second, Ethan almost forgot she was evil.

He put on a fake smile, not wanting to blow his cover if she doesn't know he knows. "H-hi." He mumbled out, making her giggle a bit.

"I am so glad we got to be partners! I haven't stopped thinking about you since you ran into me last Friday." She moved her desk closer to his before propping her head up on her hand. "There's just something about you."

He let out a nervous laugh, feeling on edge under her gaze. Before he could respond, she spoke up again. "So, where should we work on this? We probably won't get much done during school."

"M-maybe the library?" He cursed himself for stuttering. The sick feeling was back, and he could hardly concentrate on anything else.

"Hm." Emery started, before giving him a small smirk that made him more uneasy. "I don't do to well in public spaces. How about I come to yours?"

"Um, w-well-" He started, getting cut off.

"Great! Unfortunately, I can't tonight, I have a family thing. I'm free tomorrow, after school?" The bell rang, not letting Ethan say much as she packed her things.

Before she left the classroom, she turned towards him, grabbing his arm. Ethan froze, waiting for a vision that never came. "You don't have to be so nervous around me, Ethan. I don't bite." With that, she let go and walked out of the classroom.

"Promise?" Ethan mumbled, staring at the empty doorway.

-

The day dragged on, Ethan not having anymore interactions with Emery, which he was thankful for. Before he knew it, he was sitting in his room, staring at the homework he really didn't plan on doing. His leg was bouncing up and down, and he really thought he'd bolt to the bathroom to throw up any second.

Benny should be showing up soon, and while a part of him was actually excited about being with his old best friend again, his anxiety took over. Even the music playing softly from his phone wasn't helping so he did the only realistic thing that could actually calm him down; he called Rory.

"Rory, I think I'm going to be sick." Ethan said into the phone, not even giving Rory a chance to say hello.

"Wait, what's wrong?" Rory asked, Ethan hearing the concern through the tone of his voice.

"Nothing life threatening." Ethan let out a strained laugh. "Just, Benny, come over. Alone. My room. Guy i've been crushing on for years. Years, Rory, Years!" His breathing got heavier.

"Holy shit, he actually did it." Rory whispered, before muttering to someone else who Ethan assumes is Sarah and Erica.

"What?!" Ethan exclaimed, making Rory chuckle.

"Nothing!" Rory said a bit too fast, making Ethan narrow his eyes. "I promise, everything's going to be fine, alright? Just remember, you two have known each other since you were, what, seven?"

"Six," Ethan muttered while Rory kept going.

"You two know each other, probably a bit more than normal. Plus, if you need me to come over, I'm only a call away, man." Rory said, making him calm down a bit more.

"Thanks." Ethan mumbled before taking a deep breath.

"So, how did it go at school today, you know, with Emery?" He asked, knowing Ethan would've rather stayed on the phone with him until Benny got there so his mind didn't start overthinking again.

"Oh, um..." He started. "It was actually easier than I thought. Turns out, we're group partners for a project in history. Which means..."

Ethan trailed off, not knowing the type of reaction he's going to get out of them. "Which means what?" Rory said after a few seconds of silence.

"She may or may not be coming to my house tomorrow." He said rather quickly, but Rory still caught it.

"Dude!" Rory shouted. "No! What if she tries something? We don't have an actual plan yet! You can't be alone with her-" A loud noise cut Rory off before he let out a small "ow."

"Actually, that might work out." He heard Sarah's voice. "Grandma Weir get's back in a bit early tonight, yeah?"

"If everything went the way she expected it to, then yes." Ethan confirmed.

"Okay, so how about once she get's in, we all meet back at Benny's house to try and figure something out?" She asked.

Ethan heard noises of agreement in the background, "Okay, yeah that works."

His head snapped to his bedroom door as he heard a knock from downstairs. "Fuck, Benny's here!" His leg was back to bouncing up and down.

"Remember, it's okay, E!" Rory said, coming back to the phone. "Just text, and I'll be right there if you need me."

"Thanks, Rory. I love you." He said. It caught the girls off guard but Rory just smiled.

"Love you, too, dude. Good luck!" And with that, the phone hung up.

He could hear muffled voices from downstairs. He could make out his mom and dad's voice here and there, Benny's replies in between but couldn't make out the words. He was still staring at his door until he heard footsteps, quickly turning his head to pretend he was doing homework.

The footsteps stopped, and Ethan hear's a small, almost hesitant knock on his bedroom door.

"Come in!" He called out, not looking at the doorway as Benny walks in.

"Hey." Benny said in a small voice, closing the door behind him.

"Hi." Ethan glanced up, noticing him standing nervously by the door, not knowing what to do. Despite not talking for a couple years, he still knows Benny like the palm of his hand. He knows, assuming from the look on Benny's face, he probably won't move unless told to. "Y-you can sit on the bed, you know..."

Benny sent him a grateful smile and Ethan thinks the uneasy feeling in his stomach is turning into nervous butterflies. "So..."

"So..." Ethan trailed off after him, still not making eye contact. He was starting to doodle on his homework, trying to keep his hands from fidgeting. It was quiet for a few minutes before they spoke.

"I'm sorry." They both blurted our at the same time, looking at each other.

Benny chuckled. They used to do that often; speak the same thing at the same time. It used to freak their parents out a bit, but it never changed. "Looks like some things do stay the same." He let out.

Ethan let out a small laugh. "Yeah, I guess you're right." Despite his nervousness, the smile never left his face and he actually made eye contact with the boy sitting on his bed.

Benny took a deep breath before speaking again. "I'm sorry..." He trailed off with a thoughtful look on his face as if he was trying to find the right words to say. "That everything between us is so awkward. I mean, it was awkward between all of us, at first. But I feel like it was different with you and I."

"It's not your fault." Ethan said, setting his pen down to turn his computer chair around to face him. "If anything, that has a lot to do with me. Awkwardness has become like a second personality to me, so I should be the sorry one." He shrugged.

"I don't know." Benny shrugs, his mouth moving before he could think about what he was about to say next. "I find the awkwardness kind of cute."

Both boy's eyes widened, face heating up. Benny cleared his throat, looking around the room. "I, um..." He started. "Like what you've done to your room. Looks cool."

Ethan was glad he changed the conversation, neither wanting to question what was said. "T-thanks." He replied in a small voice. "It took a while, but I finally got it to where I wanted it. Not gonna lie, it was hard throwing out all of my action figures."

"Dude!" Benny exclaimed. "You threw them out? You could've made so much money on those things!"

Ethan chuckled. "Okay, maybe they're actually in a box in the garage."

Benny gave him a big smile, making Ethan shrug. "Hey, the geek lifestyle's hard to let go of."

"Oh, trust me, I know. It was so hard to stop myself from making Star Wars references to my friends, but no one ever got them!" Benny groans.

"Dude! How could they not?" Ethan said with as much enthusiasm as Benny. "How could they not? Star Wars is like, the best movie in existence!"

"Right!" Benny threw his arms up before letting out a sigh. "You know, I miss this."

Ethan smiled sadly at him. "Yeah, me too."

Benny shrugged, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. "I miss you, dude. The being able to geek out with someone who gets it is a plus, but it doesn't mean much if it isn't with you."

Ethan's heart did a flip, and for once, he accepted it instead of getting mad at himself for it. He hesitated before standing up, walking to his bed to sit beside Benny. "You know, we may have fell off for a while, but that doesn't mean the connections gone. I would be lying if I said I didn't miss you, too. If you're willing..."

He trailed off as Benny looked at him. Ethan knows what he wants to say next, but he also know he didn't just want to go back to being Benny's best friend. He loved him, and he really didn't want to push his feelings down anymore. For once, he thinks maybe he has a chance. However, he knows they needed to get back into their old pattern first.

"I wouldn't be against trying to get back to where we were." Ethan finished.

Benny smiled softly at him. "Yeah, I'd like that, too."

Both boys realized how close they were as a silence fell over them. Ethan could've sworn he saw Benny lean in a bit, but he wasn't too sure. Benny realized that he actually didn't mind being this close to Ethan, but for the same reason he ignored the feelings the other boy gave him, it just wasn't the time. So, he leaned back a bit.

"But we should probably brainstorm a bit, it'd be a lot more fun without a supernatural threat hanging over us." He chuckled a bit.

"Oh!" Ethan said, "About that. I got to talk to Emery today."

Benny turned his body more towards him, interest peaked. "And how'd it go?"

"Well, I don't know if it's just a coincidence or if she had something to do with it, but we ended up being paired together for a history project." Ethan said, wincing a bit at the thought of actually being alone with her.

"Okay, first, good job!" Benny have him a high-five. "Second, there are so many things that could go wrong with that!" Ethan smiled a bit at the concerned look on his face.

"Sarah said that it could be a good thing. She's coming over tomorrow, but I don't think we're going to be doing much history." Benny narrowed his eyes at that. He knew Ethan was probably going along the lines of finally stopping her, but he knows what a succubus does so he couldn't really stop the pang of jealousy he got. If he didn't want her gone before, he definitely did now.

"She said that if you're Grandma gets in early enough tonight, we could meet at yours and figure something out for tomorrow." Ethan said, trying to ignore the look on Benny's face.

"Hold on, let me call her and see when she's getting in." Benny said, parting his pocked before rolling his eyes at himself. "Fuck, I left my phone at the house."

He looked as if he was about to stand up, probably to go get his phone, but Ethan really didn't want him to leave. Even if it was for a minute. "Um, here, you can use mine." He handed Benny his phone, which he counted as a win due to the grateful smile Benny gave him.

He turned away from him as he spoke, his mind wondering over to Emery coming to his house tomorrow. He really hopes they come up with something today. He was really dreading tomorrow.

"Okay, love you. Bye." Benny hung up the phone, Ethan turning to look at him again.

"She should be home in the next 30 minutes actually." Benny smiled at him. Before Ethan could respond, his phone buzzed, both boy's eyes going to it.

His heart sped up a bit as Benny's eyes narrowed a bit, reading the text message. "Um..." He started, looking up at Ethan. "Alex texted you... about a d-date?"

Ethan's face flushed, snatching his phone out of Benny's hand, turning away from him. "O-oh." He responded.

It was quiet for a few seconds, Ethan tapping on his phone. Before he could get the chance to hit send, Benny spoke up. "Ethan?" He asked quietly.

Ethan didn't respond, not wanting to know how the other boy would react. While he thought for a split second he could've had a chance with Benny, it wasn't a set in stone thing. "E? Can you look at me, please?"

Ethan shook his head quickly, making Benny let out a sigh. "Okay." He muttered, "I guess I'll talk to you like this then."

Ethan closed his eyes, willing himself not to cry as Benny continued. Despite the fact that he's completely accepted this part of himself, coming out was still scary. "Are you..." Benny trailed off, not knowing if he was saying the wrong things. Ethan looked like he was going to bolt any second, despite the fact that they were in his room.

"Gay? Yeah." Ethan finished for him. He heard Benny take in a sharp breath.

Benny was quiet for a bit, and Ethan thought he was going to leave until he finally spoke up again. "Ethan, can you please turn around?"

He really didn't want to, but the tone in Benny's voice seemed soft, almost welcoming. He turned around, still not looking at Benny when he felt two arms around him.

Benny was hugging him. He froze a second before wrapping his arms tightly around him, hugging him back. They stayed like that for another minute or so, enjoying being this close to each other again. Ethan was grateful for it, a few tears spilling out. Happy ones.

Benny finally pulled back, a small smile on his face. "You're okay what it?" Ethan whispered to him.

"Of course, E." Benny replied. "It don't change anything between us. You're still my best friend, and I'm gonna support you no matter what."

"Thank you." Ethan said, wiping the tears off his face.

"So, are you and Alex-" Benny started, cutting himself off when Ethan shook his head.

"No. Not properly anyways." Ethan responds, "We had a kind of... friends with benefits thing going on, but." He felt his face heat up as Benny raised his eyebrow.

"You go, man!" Benny said, ignoring the second pang of jealousy that night. He didn't let it show, knowing Ethan didn't need a jealous best friend right now.

"He wants to be more, and I thought I'd give it a shot but..." Ethan trailed off, looking up at Benny again. "I don't think I can. Someone else kinda has my eye, and I don't think anyone else will."

"Oh?" Benny said, smile turning into a playful smirk. "Do I know them?"

Ethan looked down to his feet, thinking about what to say next. He looked back at Benny, making eye contact that made Benny's smirk waver. "Yeah, you do."

Before Benny could question it further, Ethan's phone rang. It was Alex. "I should probably take this." Ethan said, Benny nodding at him.

"Hey!" Ethan said once he answered, fake enthusiasm in his voice that made Benny's eyebrows raise again.

"Hey, E." Alex responded with a tired voice, making Ethan a bit concerned.

"You okay?" He asked. He wondered if it had to do with the fact that he wasn't in school that day.

"Yeah, I think. I didn't sleep well last night. That's why I didn't go school today, I kinda spent the day sleeping." Alex chuckled. "Had a strange dream." Ethan sat up straighter, his movement making Benny nervous.

"Oh? What about?" Ethan was a bit alarmed, remembering what they read in Benny's books.

"There was this girl, really pretty. It almost felt real, but I know it was just a dream. It was so weird, we kissed. A lot, then she got distracted by a picture of me and you beside my bed? Weird." Alex said as if it was no big deal. He never really was ashamed of talking about anything.

Ethan snapped his head towards Benny with wide eyes. Benny mouthed a "what is it?" towards him. Ethan just shook his head, deep in thought. While maybe he didn't want to be more, Alex was still a close friend. He doesn't know why she didn't kill him, and he was scared. What if she decided to go back and finish the job? Ethan didn't want anything to happen to him.

"Ethan? You there?" He heard Alex say over the phone.

"Alex, listen carefully." Ethan said, trying his best to explain without him freaking out. "You might be in danger."

"I'm sorry, what?" Alex responded. "Dude, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just..." He trialed off. "Don't go back to sleep."

"Um, okay. I probably won't sleep much anyways due to sleeping all day." He said, a bit weirded out.

"Good!" Ethan thought for a second. "Actually, can you come over? In the next hour or so? Actually, no, scratch that. Come to the house next door."

"Okay, why?" Alex asked, sounding a bit more awake. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah! I'll explain when I see you, okay? Text me when you're on the way." Ethan hung up the phone, not giving him a chance to respond.

He stood up quickly, putting on his shoes. "Woah, dude, what's going on?" Benny said, standing up also.

"Long story short, Emery went after Alex. For some reason, she didn't kill him, he said she got distracted after she saw a picture of me and him and I really don't want to see if she's gonna go back and finish the job." He said quickly, chest tightening and his breathing getting deeper.

"Okay, okay." Benny said, before grabbing his arm. "Ethan, E. Calm down. It's going to be fine. You're going to work yourself into a panic attack, alright?" Rory had told him a few things about Ethan's panic attacks, and he really didn't want Ethan to work himself into one.

Ethan stopped, taking a deep breath at Benny's words. "There you go." Benny said softly. "Let's go to mine and wait for Grandma, she should be home any minute. I'll call the others, and when Alex gets there, we'll make sure he's okay and figure everything out from there, alright?"

Ethan nodded, making Benny smile. "Yeah, okay. Thank you, Benny."

"Of course." Benny said before walking to the door, Ethan's hand in his. "Now, lets go figure out how we're gonna stop this thing."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!
> 
> So, this is the last chapter and I just wanna thank you for reading! I’m sorry it’s a bit short, but i hope you enjoy! <3

"So, basically what you're telling me is that I had a dream about the new girl, who is actually a sex demon that wanted to eat my soul, but then got distracted by Ethan because he's a- what did you call him, again?"

"A seer."

"Are you being serious right now?"

Everyone in the room winced a bit at the disbelieving look on Alex's face. Ethan supposes they should've came up with a better way at explaining everything to him; after all, they had plenty of time. Due to the fact that they live beside each other, Ethan and Benny got to Benn'y house pretty quickly. The vampires showed up relatively fast after Ethan's call, which Benny was grateful for due to the panic attack Ethan had worked himself up to. Evelyn had arrived after about twenty minutes, and Ethan had frantically explained to her the situation.

What she finally concluded from Ethan's frantic words was; Alex was a victim of the succubus, though is very much alive due to a picture of Ethan. She figures it's because of his seer ability, though she's not sure why. Now, Alex was on his way and was in need of an explanation none of them were ready to give. After that, a silence fell over them until a hesitant knock was heard on the front door.

"We are." Evelyn nodded, watching Alex shake his head a bit. "I know this is hard to understand, or believe really, but I assure you we're not lying. We'll even prove it, vampires, do your thing."

They looked at her dumfounded for a moment before Erica rolled her eyes, hissing as her eyes turned golden. Alex jumped back a bit, but his reaction definitely didn't match the fear Ethan and Benny have when they see those fangs. Alex chuckled, "Cool."

Erica looked stunned, "Not the reaction I was going for."

"You're not scared?" Benny pipped up from beside Ethan.

"I mean, I figured if you were going to eat me, you would've done it by now. Plus, Rory's my friend." He shrugged.

Rory nodded, reaching over to give him a high five. "So, what exactly am I doing here?"

They all thought for a second, obviously not getting that far. "Well," Ethan started, and Alex could practically see the anxiety rolling off of him. He doesn't blame him. While this is very intriguing, he's still partially in disbelief. All he wanted to do was have a date with Ethan. However, once he noticed the way Benny looked over at him in concern, throwing an arm over Ethan's shoulder as Ethan leaned into him, he thinks, maybe he wont get his date after all. And, he knew he wasn't the only one to notice it. The only difference, he was the only one who didn't look partially relived. "I don't really know. i just figured you should know, and to not go back to sleep. It could be dangerous, and I really don't want to lose one of my best friends." Ethan finally finished.

Alex smiled sadly at him. He liked Ethan. Maybe he wasn't in love, but he liked him quite a bit. But seeing the way he so easily accepted Benny's comfort in a way he hasn't even gotten to with him, he realized that he'd rather have Ethan as a friend than nothing at all. "Thanks, E." Alex said before standing up. "I think I'm gonna head out."

"Is that a good idea?" Rory asked, looking at Evelyn.

"My moms gonna be worried, plus I doubt I'll be sleeping tonight. or, ever again." Alex chuckled. "I'm not really a big help to you guys now. I just got introduced to this, and I need processing time."

Evelyn nodded. "He's right, this can be a lot to take in. Alex, honey, please don't go to sleep until we figure everything out. Hopefully this problem should be settled by tomorrow. And, if you even think anything is out of the ordinary, please give us a call."

Alex smiled thankfully at her. "Yes, ma'am. Bye guys, I'll see you tomorrow, I guess." The rest said their goodbyes while Ethan decided he'd walk Alex out.

It was silent as they made their way to the door. Ethan closed it behind them as they stepped outside, Alex turning around to look at him. "So, um, about the date-" He started before getting cut off.

"It's okay, E." Alex said softly. Ethan looked a bit confused, making him let out a small chuckle. "I see the way you look at him, you know."

Ethan's face turned red as he continued. "I know you love him. You have for a while, even if you fell off. And it's okay, I understand that."

The other boy was speechless for a second. He wanted to deny it, even though he's not sure why. Finally, he sighed. "I'm sorry, Alex."

"Don't be." Alex ruffled his hair, making Ethan duck down a bit. "You're my best friend. I'm not gonna like, it sucks. But, I'll be fine."

"You always knew the right things to say." Ethan smiled brightly at him as he chuckled.

"It's a gift." Alex joked before checking the time. "I really do need to go. My mom's texted me like four time."

Ethan nodded in understanding before holding out his arms. Alex chuckled before giving him a hug. "You're the best, really." Ethan muttered.

Pulling away, Alex chuckled. "Go get him." He nodded his head towards the house, making Ethan fluster again.

"I don't even think he feels the same." Ethan shrugged.

"I don't know." Alex said in a teasing tone. "My bet is that it'd go pretty well. I'll see you, later."

With that he turned and walked away. Ethan let out a huge sigh. He's glad that was taken care of. He cared for Alex, a lot. Just not in the same way he cared for Benny. Sure, Alex made him happy. But Benny was different.

He walked back inside, ignoring the smugness on the vampire's faces. Benny looked lost at them again, while Evelyn looked like she could guess what was going on. He ignored it, sitting beside Benny like he was before.

"So, anyone got any plan ideas?" He asked.

"Actually, we've started coming up with something." Benny replied, putting his arm back over Ethan's shoulder.

"So, here's what we're gonna do."

-

The next day went by rather quickly, much to Ethan's dismay. He saw Emery once, during History again to which he gave her his address so she could come over. He didn't see her for the rest of the day, and he assumes it's because she's perfecting her killing Ethan plan. The thought made him shiver.

Before he knew it, he was tapping his pencil nervously at his desk. He didn't have much distraction to take his mind away from thinking. The others were doing what they needed to do for their part in the plan. His mom, dad, and Jane were at some sort of school event that he wishes he didn't have to talk his mom out of going to. Instead, he had to let his thoughts wander.

Things were going well for them at school. They actually stop and talk to each other. This whole situation has made him realize how much he missed them. Erica's attitude, Sarah's maturity, Benny's everything. He's scared that once this is over, they'll go back to how things were before it even began. He doesn't want that. They don't sit together at lunch, nor do they sit together in class, but Ethan will take what he can get.

A knock at the door shook him out of his thoughts. He took a deep breath, swallowing his anxiety as he pulled out his phone to send a text to the others.

_She's here. - Ethan._

He got a response from Benny a second later, telling him they were in their places. He hesitantly made his way downstairs to open the door, revealing Emery behind it.

She gave him a big smile, stepping around him without saying anything. He shut the door behind him, looking nervously at her. "Nice place." She finally said, turning towards him.

"Thanks." Ethan mumbled, hands in his pocket. "Let's go to my room, yeah?"

She smiled brightly again, nodding. There was an awkward tension between them, and Ethan knew it was more him than her. Once they got to his room, she shut it behind her. It made him a bit nervous, but he tried his best not to show it. 

He sat down at the edge of his bed as Emery looked around. He felt uneasy as she ran her fingers over his bookshelf, trying to ignore the urge to tell her to stop. "I like your room. It's not the normal boys room." She chuckled, glancing at him. 

"Yeah. I guess I'm not your normal boy." He let out.

"I guess you're right." She smiled at him before sitting across from him.

Ethan cleared his throat, pulling out his textbooks. "So, we should probably start with the-"

He stopped once his textbook was pulled out of his hand. Emery closed it, setting it on his desk. "Oh, Ethan, you didn't actually think I came to do history homework, do you?"

Her smile had turned into something seductive. "T-then what did you come to do?" He stuttered out.

She chuckled. "You're so innocent." She mumbled. Before he could even react, she was straddling him. 

He blinked, taken back by the action. "I was thinking something a little more..." She trailed off. "Fun." 

She leaned down to kiss him, but he quickly turned his head. "Not to offend you, Emery, but you're not really my type."

He knew it wouldn't make her stop, but it was worth the try. She laughed, making him turn his head towards her again. "I figured. But, you know why I'm here."

"W-what?" He said, wide eyed.

"Don't play dumb, Ethan. It's not a good look on you. You know what I'm here for." She leaned in closer, holding his head in place. "And I tend to get what I want." 

Before he could react again, her lips were back on his. He was pushing her, but it was like she was unmovable. "I bet your should tastes so sweet." She said as she pulled back. "I've never had one like you.”

"Like what? A seer?" He narrowed his eyes at her. 

She smiled at him, almost sweetly. "That's a plus, but no, honey. I've never had a boy who wasn't into girls." 

"So, that's why you got so distracted by that picture of me?" He didn't feel the need to elaborate, she probably knows what he's talking about. 

"I knew you were different from the moment you bumped into me in the hallway." She kissed him again. "You've been on my mind ever since." And again. "I know so much about you. I've done my research." And again. "A little seer who used to run around with a magic best friend and a few vampires. I know about Alex, your feelings for Benny. I know your insecurity in the group. You're the only one who doesn't bring something to the table, him?" And again, and again, and again.

He pushed her back, scrambling away as she fell off his lap. "Come on, Ethan." She stood up, walking towards him as his back hit his headboard. "Don't be like that."

"I found out about, you didn't I?" He gasped out as she grabbed his face. 

"Yeah." She smiled. "And now, you're about to regret it."

She pushed her lips back on his. No matter how much he fought, he could feel himself getting weaker, and weaker. A blue light was surrounding them, and he knew this wouldn't take long if he didn't act now. 

He pushed her away with the last bit of strength he could conjure up, "Now!" He screamed as loud as he could. 

Emery quickly jumped off of him as the others rushed in, fangs and silver daggers drawn. Emery laughed. "See what I mean, Ethan?"

Erica hissed, throwing the first punch. Like she said before, no one bully's her dork but her. Emery dodged it as the others jumped in. Ethan eyes closed, slowly falling asleep. Benny ran over to him as the vampires fought her. 

"E? Hey, E." Benny smiled as Ethan opened his eyes. "I need you to stay awake alright." A loud bang caught his attention, but he immediately went back to Ethan as his eyes dropped closed. "Shit." He muttered. 

He turned back around in time to see Rory go flying across the room. He gasped as Erica ran up to her. She got in a few good hits, blood falling from Emery's nose. Unfortunately, Emery got out on top, knocking her down beside Rory. Finally, Sarah jumped in.

They lasted pretty long before Emery surprised her, grabbing her arm and twisting it while making her fall to the ground. "Benny! A spell, or something!" Sarah yelled out from her spot from up under Emery. 

He acted quickly, spitting one out as a bright light knocked her down. Sarah quickly got up, holding out her hand for the silver dagger. She climbed on top of her, Emery struggling and making noises of protest. 

"This one's for Ethan." Sarah snapped out before the dagger pierced through Emery's chest. A loud scream erupted from her before a bright, white light blinded them.

Once it was over, Sarah got up as Benny helped up Rory and Erica. "Well, that was anticlimactic." Erica let out, making the others chuckle.

"I'm just glad she's dealt with." Rory shrugged.

"Shit, Ethan!" Benny remembered the boy on the bed, running over to him.

Benny shook him, "E? Ethan, wake up!" He said. "We got her!"

Ethan didn't move, and he looked as if he was hardly breathing. "Guys." Rory said, helping Benny shake the other boy. "Guy's he's not waking up, and he's more pale than usual!"

Erica pushed them out of the way, picking Ethan up. "Benny's grandma, let's go."

-

The others looked on with concern as Benny’s grandma worked on a special potion. According to her, if Ethan didn’t get this potion in by the next hour, he’d probably die.

Benny and Sarah were close to crying, Rory was fidgeting, and Erica was too quiet while Ethan looked almost peaceful from his spot on the couch.

All of them loved Ethan. Even Evelyn started to get clumsy with her work, but straightened up. Ethan has became like a second son to her, and she was not about to lose him.

While Erica and Sarah joined the nerd group later than the others, they became fond of Ethan- of all of them. It made them realize how quickly life can end for the humans, and they decided then that they’ll be by their side forever.

Rory glanced at Ethan. Ethan was always one of his best friends, even if he wasn’t Ethan’s. He knows that spot was reserved for Benny, but he loved Ethan. He was so happy they grew closer, and he didn’t want to lose it- to lose him. He always knew that there could be something way stronger than could come, and to win, and maybe that’s why he hung onto Ethan and Benny so hard.

Benny was devastated as he saw his best friend laying on the couch, not moving and the life slowly leaving him. He regretted drifting from him, from all of them. He realized then how much he wanted his friends back, how little it took to lose the ones you love. He looked at Ethan, and he realized he never wanted to lose his best friend again. More so, he realized the feelings he’d tried so hard to deny. He didn’t want Ethan to go without letting him know it. Life was too short, and he needed his best friend.

“Got it!” Evelyn yelled, grabbing their attention. She ran over to the sleeping boy as the others followed closely behind. “Sarah, prop him up.”

Sarah did as told, grabbing him lightly to sit him up. Evelyn opened his mouth, pouring the greenish liquid into his mouth. “It should work in a few seconds.”

They watched intensely before Ethan took a deep breath, sitting up quickly. They all let out huge sighs of relief, each one hugging him individually. Benny’s later the longest.

“Oh, thank god!” Sarah said as they all stepped back.

Ethan coughed a few times before looking at them. “She’s gone, i’m hoping?”

They chuckled. “She’s gone dork.” Erica said.

It was Ethan’s turn to let out a sigh of relief, falling back onto the couch. “She almost killed you. I’m so glad you’re still here.” Evelyn said teary eyed. The others nodded.

Ethan caught Benny rubbing the tears out of his eyes before holding out his hand. “I’m okay, Ben.”

“Yeah, but you almost weren’t.” He pulled Ethan into another hug as Evelyn excused herself and the others, claiming she needed their help to clean up the mess she made while making the potion.

“I need to talk to you.” They said at the same time as Benny pulled away. They chuckled at the irony of it before Ethan spoke up.

“Is it okay if I go first?” He asked a bit nervously. “There’s something Ive been wanting to tell you for a while.” He took in a deep breath as Benny nodded.

“You’re my best friend, Benny. Since we were six years old, no matter how much we fall off or stop talking. You’ll always be my best friend.” He stopped for a second, relaxing as Benny’s hand found his. “But, a part of me has always wanted to be something more. I tried to ignore it at first, but it just got stronger. Before I knew it, I realized I had developed a huge crush on my clumsy, spell casting best friend who makes too many irrational decisions when it comes to his magic.” Benny chuckled at that, making Ethan smile at him. “But now, I realize that I love you. And I understand if you don’t wanna be friends anymore, or if it’s weird. I just, needed to let you know.”

Benny’s heart was beating fast as he watched his best friend look anywhere but him. “Look at me, please.” Benny said, making Ethan’s head turn back towards him. “Nothing could ever make me stop wanting to be your best friend. And I can’t lie and say I wouldn’t want to try to be something more. This is all kinda new to me, but after almost losing you, I couldn’t deny it anymore. I don’t want something to happen to one of us, and we never got this chance. So, if you want, I’d be willing to try.”

Ethan smiled brightly at him, “Yeah. I’d like that a lot.”

Benny smiled back at him, hand coming up to cup his cheek. “C-can I kiss you?” He whispered to him.

Ethan nodded a bit too enthusiastically, making Benny let out a chuckle. They leaned in, their lips touching. It only lasted a few seconds, something so short but that held so much emotion.

Ethan smiled as they pulled away, excited about where they were gonna go from there.

-

Ethan noticed the change almost immediately the next day. Alex has stayed home, catching up on much needed sleep so he was left walking to his locker alone. However, once he reached it, he noticed Benny and Rory standing beside it. They were in a very much heated discussion, making Ethan smile.

“Hey guys.” He smiled, going to open his locker.

“Ethan!” Benny said. “Tell him I totally beat him with 176 marshmallows when he only had 172!”

“Rory, Benny beat you.” He chuckled as Rory let out a small “hey!”.

“I call a rematch!” Rory shouted.

Ethan just shook his head, smiling at the sense of familiarity that over took him. The rest of the day was similar- they sat beside each other in class, talked in the hallways. Even Erica and Sarah whenever they saw them or had a class.

Before he knew it, it was lunch. Ethan made his way to the table Rory was sat at. He expected lunch to go about the same way it always has gone; they’ll all sit with their respected group of friends.

However, he jumped when Benny plopped down beside him, giving him a big kiss on the cheek that made his face heat up. Rory smiles at the two, falling into easy conversation with him. Ethan just stared at them, lost in thought.

“Ugh, what are you two nerds talking about now?” Erica said with fake annoyance.

Ethan noticed Sarah beside her as they both sat down beside Rory. They smiled at him, and it didn’t take long for them to go back to their old banter. Laughter could be heard from their table, and there was probably even a few fries thrown that could’ve gotten them in trouble if a teacher saw it.

This. This is what they had missed; Being with each other again, happy and carefree because they knew they all had each other. It only took the supernatural of all things to put their pieces back together.


End file.
